Page 33 of Knot What She Seems
Tamlin reviews the founding of our country four hundred sixty-three years ago. Luckily, I’ve heard the story about our founding ad nauseam because my father is one of those nerds who builds dioramas and paints little soldier figurines.
Three different warlords went to war over this land in a massive, confusing clash of swords centuries ago. Because all three sides were fighting each other, the brutality was intense, the alphas courageous but feral. Bloodlust overtook them, and the Noths and Hypsonians ended up completely destroying the people of Lethe. When the battle ended and the dust settled, the two countries vowed never to fight again.
Of course, Noths can’t be trusted.
“And what is it that the Emperor Zoh of Nóthos said when he was asked about the current war and the violation of our long-held treaties?”
Silence descends over the room.
Have none of them heard about this?
Seriously?
My dad has repeated Zoh’s words to me at least a million times.
“The promises of the past are as dead as the men who made them,” I call out, not raising my hand because—frankly—I can’t.
Tamlin’s eyes dart up to mine, and he reaches to adjust his glasses as if he’s not quite sure who he’s seeing. “C-correct, Your Highness.” He gives me a deferential head nod before continuing on with the lecture.
If only it were so easy to make a decent impression with the other professors.
Zoning out, I let my gaze wander to the window and the warm sunlight outside. Some of the omegas are probably having tea out on the lawn behind the school. Perhaps playing croquet. Others might be going through recipes online to research for our long-term assignment to come up with a menu for a week-long visit from dignitaries.
Meanwhile, I’m hoping I didn’t get a rib fracture.
Part of me thinks that I’m an idiot, but another part of me is relieved to be sitting here and learning about the strategies that shaped our country. The logic behind why our territory boundaries were drawn up and why we insisted on splitting the forests so that we have natural boundaries but also natural resources. The way that Noths have been testing us for decades. How our spies have pushed back. My brain just lights up from that information, even though my muscles are telling me right now that tea sounds nicer than combat lessons.
Today has definitely been eye-opening. Pretending to be an alpha is already a challenge, but now I’ve got to deal with avoiding scent matches who hate me.
My teeth gnash together, and I realize that I probably need to start looking on the black market to see if there’s some kind of blocker that will knock my own nose out of whack. I don’t just need to hide my own scent any longer—I need to block theirs.
A bird flutters to its nest outside, hopping into it with a twig in its beak. Building itself a stronger home against the elements. That’s what I need to do. These scent matches are storm clouds full of lightning and rain and trouble, and I need to stack up my defenses against them.
Some kind of nasal spray is added to my mental shopping list.
That decided, I move on to the other challenge today revealed. Without the bodysuit, those blows would definitely have had more effect. Even with them, I’m sore and aching and a bit unsure I’ll be able to move tomorrow. I’m also shocked and relieved that the suit held up so well under pressure. Nobody seemed to suspect anything at all, not when I was punched or when I fell. But I am nervous, because today was only the start of combat. What if…what if we end up wrestling? What if my wig comes loose?
Either I’m going to have to cut my hair or I’m going to have to get better at fighting quickly.
Turning away from the window, I move my hand as if I’m going to scrawl a little note on my notebook so that I give the illusion of paying attention. But when I glance down, there’s a tiny scrap of paper folded in half, resting on top of the blank page.
Glancing up at Tamlin to make sure he’s distracted, I see the professor facing his slide and pointing at a map, his hand gesturing in a big circle to emphasize the port access that Nóthos has and we do not.
I look back down and open the slip.
Want to grab a beer later? -Sam
A quick dart of my eyes shows that Sam is a few seats over on my right. I hadn’t even noticed him, perhaps because betas don’t have a pervasive scent like alphas or omegas. They tend to have a neutral smell that becomes nearly invisible in a crowd like this, where alpha male scents fold over one another in a musky fight for dominance.
Sam’s throat bobs as he shoots a hesitant glance my way, almost like he’s nervous I’ll reject him.
But…an ally whose scent is pretty much invisible, whose beta existence is considered inconsequential because the alpha males around him don’t consider him a threat…that could be a very useful person to know.
Plus, I don’t want Sam thinking I’m some alpha asshole who doesn’t like him simply because he’s a beta. That’s the farthest thing from the truth. I give a quick nod of my head, and Sam grins in return.
Time for Teddie to make a friend.
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